Vodacom Right now, we’re closer to the launch of 5G than the beginning of 4G. Soon, we’ll enter an age of unfathomable mobile speed, clearer communication, and …

5G is changing our digital future

Did you know that Cleopatra lived closer to the moon landing than she did to the building of the Great Pyramids? Right now, we’re closer to the launch of 5G than the beginning of 4G. Soon, we’ll enter an age of unfathomable mobile speed, clearer communication, and unlocked data potential.

A brief history of mobile reception

To understand how transformative the concept of 5G is, we need to understand the mobile tech that came before it. Each G (or generation) so far has introduced an increasingly advanced set of technologies combined to unlock new potential from your phone – not to mention an entirely new set of products to go with it. To put this in perspective, what is now considered akin to the ‘Common Era’ of smartphones would have been unfathomable without 4G speeds.

What 5G means for you

When 4G first launched, nobody really predicted just how much it would change our lives. News, music, movies, VOiP calls, maps… the list is endless. And just like back then, it’s hard to tell how much 5G will change how we view mobile devices.

Again, 5G is fast. Really fast. gigabits per second. That could mean loading an entire 4K film in under a minute, or live-streaming a virtual reality experience on the go. Users will also see an improvement in battery life due to faster transfer speeds and more efficient connectivity with IoT devices.

Understanding the potential for 5G is easier when we consider the technology that comes with it. Reducing latency (or the time it takes for your internet to recognise a command) from the current 60 milliseconds to 1 millisecond might not sound particularly interesting, but that’s because we haven’t needed it yet. What if we threw a driverless car in the mix? What if two cars could recognise an impending crash and activate the brakes 60x faster than before, then notify 50 other cars in the time it once took to notify one?

Increased connectivity and lower latency mean a new world for the Internet of Things too. While our current-generation of IoT systems has streamlined our houses and workspaces, the next generation will offer a more personalised experience whereby information from your phone will dictate how your surroundings respond to you. Think car sensors that interact with traffic lights, clothes that interact with your office environment, and drones that can drop a package to your location wherever you are – some 50 billion predicted devices interacting more personally than ever before.

OK, sounds great. When will I get it?

The Vodacom 5G technology is commercial-ready. What we need next is the right spectrum and the first 5G capable mobile devices to become available…

What is 5G

A look at 5G technology and how it will change our lives

Test your network speed

Useful Links

About the 5G-PPP:

The 5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership (5G PPP) is a joint initiative between the European Commission and European ICT industry (ICT manufacturers, telecommunications operators, service providers, SMEs and researcher Institutions).